Sam in the Examiner’s Fifty faces of 2007

By Fran Voss, Helen Kempton and Loretta Johnston

Some of these faces were smiling in 2007.  Others had to overcome tragedy or needed to fight personal or political battles during the year.

But all 50 told a story during what was a big 12 months on the news front.

Reporters Fran Voss, Helen Kempton and Loretta Johnston compiled these reports.

At the start of 2007, Launceston father-of-two Sam Cawthorn was fighting his way back from severe injuries he received in a car accident in October 2006.

The right side of his car was sheared off in the collision with a truck on the Bass Highway at Parramatta Creek.

He suffered a shatter right leg, two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, and a right arm so badly injured it was amputated below the elbow.

Mr Cawthorn described his survival as a miracle and was inspired to tell his story to help others.

After three months hospitalisation and rehabilitation, the government careers advisor was back behind the wheel of his modified vehicle and doing motivational speaking.

Rather than dwell on this misfortune Mr Cawthorn turned it into a positive, focusing attention on the traumatic consequences of road accidents on both the victim and their families, as well as showing how determination can overcome huge challenges.